(i) Coffee
1. The National Horticulture Board was established in the year
(a) 1976
(b) 1987
(c) 1984
(d) 2002
[U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2014]
Ans. (c) 1984
- The National Horticulture Board was created in 1984 and is registered as a society under the Act of 1860.
- It is based in Gurugram, Haryana.
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2. Though coffee and tea both are cultivated on hill slopes, there is some difference between them regarding their cultivation. In this context, consider the following Statements:
1. Coffee plant requires a hot and humid climate of tropical areas whereas tea can be cultivated in both tropical and subtropical areas
2. Coffee is propagated by seeds but tea is propagated by stem cuttings only.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
[I.A.S. (Pre) 2010]
Ans. (c) Both 1 and 2
- Coffee plants need a warm and moist climate to grow in tropical places.
- Tea, on the other hand, can grow in both tropical and subtropical areas.
- Coffee is grown from seeds, but tea is grown from stem cuttings.
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3. Largest producer of coffee in India is –
(a) Kerala
(b) Karnataka
(c) Tamil Nadu
(d) Andhra Pradesh
[U.P.P.S.C. (GIC) 2010, U.P. Lower Sub. (Pre) 2003, U.P. Lower Sub. (Pre) 2002]
Ans. (b) Karnataka
- In India, the two main types of coffee are Arabica and Robusta.
- India only produces 3.4% of the world’s total coffee, with Karnataka being the biggest producer.
- Foreign countries love the taste of Indian coffee, which is why there is a high demand.
- Coffee plants need a temperature of 15-18 degrees Celsius and 150-250 cm of rainfall to grow well.
- Sloppy hilly terrain and loamy soil are the best for cultivating coffee.
- Karnataka provides 70.5%, Kerala 20.7%, and Tamil Nadu 5.4% of India’s total coffee production.
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4. Consider the following statements:
1. Chikmagalur is well-known for sugar production.
2. Mandya is well-known as a coffee-producing region.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
[I.A.S. (Pre) 2008]
Ans. (d) Neither 1 nor 2
- The Chikmagalur district in Karnataka is well known for growing coffee, not sugar. India’s first coffee crop was grown here.
- On the other hand, Mandya district in Karnataka is known for sugar production, not coffee.
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5. Which one of the following coffee-growing areas is not in Karnataka?
(a) Chikmagalur
(b) Coorg
(c) Baba Budangiri
(d) Pulneys
(e) None of the above/More than one of the above
[66th B.P.S.C. (Pre) 2020]
Ans. (d) Pulneys
- The Pulneys Mountains are right next to the well-known Kodaikanal mountain resort in Tamil Nadu.
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(ii) Tea and Rubber
6. India is the best producer and consumer of
(a) Rice
(b) Tea
(c) Oilseeds
(d) Pulses
[39th B.P.S.C. (Pre) 1994]
Ans. (*)
- When the question was asked, India was the top producer and consumer of pulses and tea.
- India dropped to 2nd place in the production of tea.
- Even so, India is still number 1 in both production and consumption of pulses.
- Even with the large amount of pulses produced in India, the country still has to import from other countries.
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9. Which one of the following states is the largest producer of tea in India?
(a) Assam
(b) Tamil Nadu
(c) Arunachal Pradesh
(d) West Bengal
[U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1994]
Ans. (a) Assam
- Assam is the biggest tea producer in India.
- Most of the tea in the Brahmaputra Valley is grown there.
- West Bengal comes in second for tea production.
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10. India produces more than its needs –
(a) Tea
(b) Food grains
(c) Petroleum
(d) Petrochemicals
[43rd B.P.S.C. (Pre) 1999]
Ans. (a) Tea
- When the question was asked, India used to bring in cereals, petroleum, and petrochemicals from other countries and export tea.
- India is the fourth biggest tea exporter in the world.
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11. Assertion (A): India is a major tea exporter country.
Reason (R): Domestic consumption of tea in India is very poor.
Select the correct answer from the code given below:
Code :
(a) Both (A) and (R) are true, and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
(b) Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
(c) (A) is true, but (R) is false.
(d) (A) is false, but (R) is true.
[U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2007]
Ans. (c) (A) is true, but (R) is false.
- The right answer to this question was choice (c).
- According to 2020 figures, the leading countries that export tea worldwide are:
- Kenya (575,509 tonnes)
- China (348,815 tonnes)
- Sri Lanka (285,087 tonnes)
- India (210,486 tonnes)
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12. In an area with an annual rainfall of more than 200 cms and sloping hills which crop will be ideal?
(a) Jute
(b) Cotton
(c) Tea
(d) Maize
[U.P.P.C.S (Pre) 2010]
Ans. (c) Tea
- Tea needs to be grown on a hill that slopes and gets around 150 to 200 centimeters of rain each year.
- This is the best possible environment for tea to grow in.
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13. What is Green Gold?
(a) Coffee
(b) Gold
(c) Paddy
(d) Tea
[U.P.P.C.S. (Spl) (Mains) 2008]
Ans. (d) Tea
- Green Gold is a type of tea.
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14. Which one of the following hills does not have tea plantations?
(a) Kanan Devan
(b) Nilgiri
(c) Darjeeling
(d) Girnar
(e) None of the above/More than one of the above
[65th B.P.S.C. (Pre) 2019]
Ans. (d) Girnar
- Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka are the states that produce tea.
- Kanan Devan is in Kerala, Nilgiri is in Tamil Nadu and Darjeeling is in West Bengal.
- However, Girnar is located in Gujarat.
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15. Which one of the following is an important crop of the Barak Valley ?
(a) Jute
(b) Tea
(c) Sugarcane
(d) Cotton
[I.A.S. (Pre) 1996]
Ans. (c) Sugarcane
- Currently, the main crop grown in Barak Valley is Rice.
- Sugarcane is the second most important crop here.
- Since Rice is not an option, Sugarcane would be the best answer.
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16. Which of the following pair is not correctly matched.
| List-I (Crop/Plantation) |
List-II (Largest producer state) |
| A. Jute |
1.West Bengal |
| B.Tea |
2. Assam |
| C. Sugarcane |
3.Uttar Pradesh |
| D. Rubber |
4. Himachal Pradesh |
[U.P. R.O./A.R.O. (Mains) 2017]
Ans. (d) Rubber – Himachal Pradesh
- India is the fourth biggest manufacturer of natural rubber in the world.
- Kerala makes up the majority (75.69%) of the rubber produced in India.
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17. The largest producer of rubber in India is
(a) Andhra Pradesh
(b) Karnataka
(c) Kerala
(d) Tamil Nadu
[43rd B.P.S.C. (Pre) 1999, U.P. Lower Sub. (Spl) (Pre) 2004, 63rd B.P.C.S. (Pre) 2017, U.P.P.S.C. (R.I.) 2014, Uttarakhand P.C.S. (Pre) 2012]
Ans. (c) Kerala
- Kerala is India’s biggest producer of rubber, making up 75.69% of India’s total rubber production in 2018-19.
- Ernakulam, Kottayam, Kozhikode and Kollam are the main rubber producing districts in Kerala.
- India Rubber Board is the fourth largest rubber producer and second biggest consumer in the world according to 2020 data.
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18. In India the state which produced the largest amount of Rubber (2013)
(a) Uttarakhand
(b) Tamil Nadu
(c) Karnataka
(d) Kerala
[U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2014]
Ans. (d) Kerala
- Kerala produces the most rubber in India.
- In 2018-19, 75.69% of India’s total rubber production was from Kerala.
- Ernakulam, Kottayam, Kozhikode and Kollam are the main districts in Kerala that produce rubber.
- India Rubber Board is the 4th highest rubber producer and 2nd highest consumer in the world in 2020.
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(iii) Other Plantation Crops
19. In which of the following Indian states cultivation of Coffee, rubber and tobacco is done?
(a) Karnataka
(b) Meghalaya
(c) Goa
(d) Maharashtra
[R.A.S./R.T.S. (Pre) 1996]
Ans. (a) Karnataka
- In India, coffee is mainly grown in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and some states in the North East.
- Rubber is mainly grown in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Karnataka, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur and other states.
- Tobacco is mainly grown in Gujarat (41%), Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and other states.
- Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are the two states where these three crops are grown.
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20. The main crop cultivated in India under plantation agriculture is –
(a) Tea, Rubber, coconut, coffee
(b) Tea, Rubber, Sunflower, Soyabean
(c) Tea, Banana, Grapes, Coconut
(d) Tea, Rubber, Coconut, Soyabean
[U.P.U.D.A./L.D.A. (Pre) 2001]
Ans. (a) Tea, Rubber, coconut, coffee
- The Ministry of Agriculture has grouped coconut, arecanut, palm, cocoa, and cashew nut as plantation crops.
- The Ministry of Commerce also states that tea, coffee, and rubber are plantation crops.
- Therefore, all of these items – coconut, arecanut, palm, cocoa, cashew, tea, coffee and rubber are plantation crops.
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21. Consider the following statements and select the correct answer from the given codes –
1. Tea is the main crop of Assam
2. Coffee is the main crop of Tamil Nadu
3. Tobacco is cultivated on a large scale in Andhra Pradesh.
4. Jute is the main crop of Chattisgarh
Code :
(a) 1 and 2
(b) 1 and 3
(c) 1 and 4
(d) 2 and 3
[U.P.U.D.A./L.D.A. (Pre) 2001]
Ans. (*)
- Assam is the best at growing tea, Andhra Pradesh is the number one state for tobacco (now Gujarat), and Karnataka is a great place for growing coffee.
- In Chhattisgarh, paddy is the most popular crop, not jute, so only 1 are correct.
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22. Which State is the largest producer of tobacco in India?
(a) Gujarat
(b) Andhra Pradesh
(c) Karnataka
(d) Madhya Pradesh
[M.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2008]
Ans. (b) Andhra Pradesh
| Rank |
State |
Tobacco Production Share (%) |
Major Tobacco-Producing Districts |
| 1 |
Gujarat |
41% |
Saurashtra, North Gujarat |
| 2 |
Andhra Pradesh |
22% |
Prakasam, Guntur, Krishna |
| 3 |
Karnataka |
16% |
Shivamogga, Chitradurga, Tumkur |
| 4 |
Telangana |
11% |
Adilabad, Karimnagar, Warangal |
| 5 |
Uttar Pradesh |
5% |
Jhansi, Mahoba, Banda |
26. The largest Coconut producing state in India is :
(a) Andhra Pradesh
(b) Karnataka
(c) Kerala
(d) Tamil Nadu
[U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2006]
Ans. (c) Kerala
- Kerala is the top coconut producer in India.
- Karnataka is in second place and Tamil Nadu is in third place for coconut production.
- Indonesia is the world’s largest coconut producer, followed by the Philippines.
- India is the third-largest coconut producer in the world.
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28. Among the following spices, India is a leading producer of –
1. Black-Pepper 2. Cardamom
3. Cloves 4. Ginger
Select the correct answer from the following code :
(a) 1 and 3
(b) 2 and 3
(c) 3 and 4
(d) 1, 2 and 4
[U.P.P.S.C. (GIC) 2010]
Ans. (*)
- Vietnam is the world’s largest producer of black pepper.
- Guatemala is the world’s largest producer of cardamom.
- Indonesia is the world’s largest producer of clove.
- India is the world’s largest producer of ginger.
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29. Which of the following States is the largest producer of cardamom and pepper in India?
(a) Tamil Nadu
(b) Goa
(c) Kerala
(d) Maharashtra
[U.P. P.C.S. (Pre) 2018]
Ans. (c) Kerala
- Kerala is the top producer of small cardamom in India.
- Although Karnataka has the highest production of black pepper in the 2020-21 agricultural year, Kerala is in second place.
- Since Karnataka isn’t an option, then the correct answer must be Kerala.
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30. Which of the following states is not known for the production of cardamom?
(a) Kerala
(b) Karnataka
(c) Tamil Nadu
(d) Odisha
[U.P.R.O./A.R.O. (Pre) 2014]
Ans. (d) Odisha
- Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are the main areas where cardamom is grown, while Odisha is not known for having cardamom production.
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31. Kerala state is famous in the world for cultivating:
(a) Rubber
(b) Sugarcane
(c) Spices
(d) Rice
[R.A.S./R.T.S.(Pre) 2010]
Ans. (c) Spices
- Kerala has been known for its spices since ancient times.
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33. A state known to be as ‘Spice Garden’ is –
(a) Kerala
(b) Karnataka
(c) Tamil Nadu
(d) Gujarat
[U.P.R.O./A.R.O. (Mains) 2013, U.P.U.D.A./L.D.A. (Spl) (Mains) 2010]
Ans. (a) Kerala
- Kerala is often called the “garden of spices” because a lot of spices are grown there.
- Madhya Pradesh produces the most spices.
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34. Cloves are obtained from –
(a) Roots
(b) Stem
(c) Fruits
(d) Flower- bud
[R.A.S./R.T.S. (Pre) 1999]
Ans. (d) Flower- bud
- Cloves come from a small, evergreen tree in the Eugenia Caryophyllata Family.
- The buds of this tree are used as a spice in cooking, as well as in medicines.
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35. Farming of cloves is done in –
(a) Kerala
(b) Karnataka
(c) Tamil Nadu
(d) Uttar Pradesh
[U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2007]
Ans. (*)
- The 2020-21 data shows that clove farming is done in the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
- Therefore, the question asked is incorrect.
- If the question had been which states do not farm cloves, then option (d) would be the correct answer.
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36. Match List–I with List–II and select the correct answer from the codes given below the Lists :
| List-I |
List-II |
| A. Jute |
1.Assam |
| B.Tea |
2. Kerala |
| C.Rubber |
3.West Bengal |
| D. Sugarcane |
4.Uttar Pradesh |
Code :
A B C D
(a) 3 1 2 4
(b) 4 3 1 2
(c) 2 4 3 1
(d) 1 2 3 4
[U.P. U.D.A./L.D.A. (Pre) 2010]
Ans. (a) 3 1 2 4
- Correct match of the crops mentioned and their leading producing states is as follows :
| Crops |
States |
| Jute |
West Bengal |
| Tea |
Assam |
| Rubber |
Kerala |
| Sugarcane |
Uttar Pradesh |
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37. Qualities of an Area in India are as follows –
(1) Hot and moist climate
(2) 200 cm Annual Rainfall
(3) Mountain slopes of height up to 1100 meter
(4) 15o °C to 30o °C range of Annual temperature
Which of the following produces you will find most suitable to grow in the above type of climate :
(a) Mustard
(b) Cotton
(c) Black pepper
(d) Virginia tobacco
[I.A.S. (Pre) 2010]
Ans. (c) Black pepper
- Black pepper grows best in a warm and humid environment with 200 cm of rain every year and in areas that have an elevation of 1100 to 1300 metres.
- The temperature should range from 15o°C to 30o°C annually.
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38. Which one of the following groups of plants was domesticated in the New World’ and introduced into the ‘Old World’?
(a) Tobacco, cocoa and rubber
(b) Tobacco, cotton and rubber
(c) Cotton, coffee and sugarcane
(d) Rubber, coffee and wheat
[I.A.S. (Pre) 2019]
Ans. (a) Tobacco, cocoa and rubber
- Cotton and wheat have been grown in India since ancient times.
- Tobacco, cocoa and rubber were brought to India by Europeans in the late Middle Ages or early modern era.
- These all originated in South America and this process is called the ‘Columbian Exchange’, named after Christopher Columbus.
- This exchange involved the transfer of plants, animals, culture, people, technology, diseases and ideas between the Americas, West Africa and the Old World in the 15th and 16th centuries.
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39. Which of the following spice in India is known as ‘Black diamond’ –
(a) Black pepper
(b) Cardamom
(c) Cloves
(d) Saffron
[Uttarakhand U.D.A./L.D.A. (Mains) 2006]
Ans. (a) Black Pepper
- Black pepper is sometimes referred to as a “black diamond”.
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40. Among the agricultural commodities imported by India, which one of the following accounts for the highest imports in terms of value in the last five years?
(a) Spices
(b) Fresh fruits
(c) Pulses
(d) Vegetable oils
[I.A.S. (Pre) 2019]
Ans. (d) Vegetable oils
- India is well-known for exporting spices and some fruits abroad.
- India also grows a large amount of pulses, which are not very expensive compared to other agricultural products.
- However, the main item that India has been importing from other countries is vegetable oil.
- India has to import almost 70% of the vegetable oil it consumes and the cost of these imports has been increasing for a long time.
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41. The biggest producer of spices in India is
(a) Gujarat
(b) Kerala
(c) Madhya Pradesh
(d) Punjab
[U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2012]
Ans. (*)
- When the question was asked, Gujarat was the top producer of spices.
- Now, Madhya Pradesh is the largest spice-producing state in India.
- India is the world’s largest producer of spices.
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42. Which of the following is a major producer of cashew nut?
(a) Goa
(b) Maharashtra
(c) Kerala
(d) Karnataka
[U.P.U.D.A./L.D.A. (Pre) 2013]
Ans. (b) Maharashtra
- Top 3 cashew nut producers in India are :
- Maharashtra (181.14 thousand tonnes)
- Andhra Pradesh (115.39 thousand tonnes)
- Odisha (110.00 thousand tonnes)
- Vietnam is the world’s largest producer of cashew nuts. India is the second-largest cashew producing country.
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